Personalized Medicine Based on Theranostic Radioiodine Molecular Imaging for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Figure 3

Flip-flop phenomenon of iodine and glucose avidity in thyroid cancer. Well-differentiated thyroid cancer has characteristics of the originating thyroid follicular cells, and therefore, the cancer cells can take up iodine, but not glucose. Therefore, the cancer lesions can be visualized on radioiodine imaging (blue box) but not on F-18 FDG PET imaging (red box). In contrast, poorly differentiated thyroid cancer does not have the characteristics of the originating thyroid follicular cells and has cancer hallmarks, and therefore, the cancer can take up glucose, but not iodine. Therefore, the cancer lesions can be visualized on F-18 FDG PET imaging, but not on radioiodine imaging.